Kärcher K5 Pressure Washer Review

There are a few different parts that you’ll need to put together before you can start using this pressure washer. Fortunately, the instructions are clear, concise, and easy to follow, so the assembly process only takes about 10-15 minutes.

The first step is fitting the wheels using the provided screws, after which you’ll then need to mount the stand, again with the provided screws. After this, the storage section for the lance needs to be attached to the main unit, followed by the handle and the accessory net.

Finally, insert the hose, connect up your water supply (it comes with a garden hose adapter), and you’re good to go!

At first glance, this pressure washer looks quite similar to lower-priced Karcher models. However, take a closer look and you’ll notice some very impressive features.

The first is its Plug ’n’ Clean detergent system. Although this pressure washer does also come with a foam nozzle, you won’t have to worry about continuously refilling that small bottle since this model allows you to “plug” in a Karcher detergent bottle, which the machine then mixes through with the water.

The fact that it comes with a pre-installed filter is also an advantage. This prevents water contaminants from damaging the various internal parts of your pressure washer – it can really prolong the life of the machine.

Another unique design feature is how this pressure washer doesn’t necessarily need to be connected to a tap. It has the ability to suck in water from a bucket or another container too, which is ideal if you need to use your pressure washer in a location that doesn’t have an outdoor water supply.

In terms of the 10m hose that comes with this pressure washer, I wasn’t too impressed at first. It may be steel reinforced but the outer layer is made from a hard plastic. From my experience with pressure washers over the years, hoses like this are more prone to kinking and bursting compared to those with a rubber exterior.

However, overall, the design of this pressure washer has been very well thought out, which really widens its appeal.

How powerful a pressure washer needs to be depends on what you’re using it for, which is why the huge amount of variation provided by the Karcher K5 is very useful. It provides a minimum of 20 bar and a maximum of 145 bar, making it more powerful than many of the other electric pressure washers on the market.

The power can be adjusted by twisting the lance, with three different settings to choose from; hard, medium, and soft. The gun comes with a pressure indicator that displays the amount of power currently in use, although, to be completely honest, I didn’t really see much point in this as it’s just as easy to check pressure by looking at the lance rather than the gun handle.

It’s also worth mentioning that this machine comes with a water-cooled motor, rather than an air-cooled motor. This is exactly what you want if you plan on using your pressure washer for extended periods of time, as water-cooled motors are much more efficient at preventing overheating, which will extend the lifespan of the machine.

The power behind this pressure washer, combined with its excellent design features, meant that I had high hopes for how this machine would perform, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. 

I tested it out on my very muddy 4×4, which enabled me to make use of a few different attachments and pressure settings. 

From dislodging the deeply embedded dirt in my tyres to thoroughly cleaning the spaces in between the grooves in my boot, this pressure washer got the job done exceptionally well. 

The attachments that it comes with help to enhance its performance. They click into each other without needing too much pressure applied, and they all function as they should. 

The wash brush was my favourite by far. It rotates when it’s in use, meaning that it’s able to get into every nook and cranny, ensuring that nothing gets missed when you’re washing a car. My only gripe would be that the it needs to be used side-on since the head doesn’t pivot. It would be very easy for someone to scratch their car with it if they’ve never used one before. However, this just requires a slight adjustment to your technique – go slow and you’ll soon get the hang of it!

Some pressure washers can feel cumbersome and awkward before you even use them for the first time – just getting them to where you need them to be can sometimes be quite the task. However, I appreciated the different touches that Karcher put into place with their K5 to make it as easy to use as possible. 

For starters, the telescopic handle, combined with the well-sized wheels, allows you to easily move the machine around. I was mainly wheeling it over the chuckies on my driveway, as well as a bit of lawn, and it moved well on both. At 12.95kg, it’s also relatively lightweight if you ever do need to lift it up steps or put it into a shed for storage.

Speaking of storage, all of the different attachments that come with this machine click neatly into place on the unit. This is ideal, saving you from losing any pieces. 

Once this pressure washer gets going, its solid base keeps the machine sturdy and upright. Even if you end up tugging on the hose, the unit won’t topple over. While it’s obviously better not to pull on the hose, I found that the hose coiled up very easily, which meant that a few unexpected tugs were unavoidable. However, the fact that it’s 10m in length, with the power cable being 5m, does give you some extra leeway when moving around a car.

When it comes to using shampoo or detergent, this machine’s Plug n Clean system is genius. Insert the shampoo bottle into the slot and the pressure washer will mix it through with water for you, saving you from having to fill and attach the foam nozzle container. That said, I ended up doing so anyway so that I could use some of my own car shampoo – Karcher’s was great, but mine smells like bubblegum!

Would someone who has never used a pressure washer before find this machine as easy to use as I did? I would say yes, especially if you download the Karcher app. Not only does it talk you through the assembly process, but it also provides step-by-step instructions, along with photos, for how to use this pressure washer for various purposes. It also teaches you how to properly care for the machine, giving newbies all of the knowledge that they need.

Out of all of the pressures that I’ve tested, including the higher-end Karcher K7, the Karcher K5 is, without a doubt, the most versatile. 

This is largely due to the fact that it comes with so many different attachments; the surface cleaner, the foam jet, the rotating wash brush, the spray lance, the dirt blaster lance, and the trigger gun. It would have been great if the foam nozzle container was slightly larger than its 0.3 litre capacity, but I appreciated its inclusion – many pressure washers don’t even come with one in the first place.

It’s also able to take in water that’s as warm as 40°C, enabling you to use it for anything that needs a hot wash.

When it comes to being able to use this pressure washer for various jobs around my home and farm, I can’t think of anything that it wouldn’t be able to handle with ease.

Pressure washer prices vary to a huge extent, but the Karcher K5 would still be considered to be at the higher end of the scale when compared to machines of similar power. That said, it’s sometimes worth paying a little more for quality, which is exactly what you’ll be getting with this machine.

Its many attachments greatly add to its value too because, as mentioned above, they make this pressure washer extremely versatile. You also won’t need to purchase them separately, which is another extra saving.

The K5 also comes with a bottle of stone cleaner and car shampoo, both of them 1 litre in size. These can easily be bought separately (for around £7-8), but I appreciated their inclusion in the box – it’s always convenient when a product comes with everything that you would need to use it properly.

One thing worth mentioning is how this product supposedly has an intelligent LCD display on the gun, from where you can control power. While it does have an LCD screen that displays how much power is currently being used, you aren’t able to control the settings from here (although you can do this with Karcher’s K7 model), so don’t expect anything too high tech!

If what you need is a budget-friendly pressure washer that’s only going to be used for very basic cleaning jobs, then this isn’t the machine for you (check out the Karcher K2 instead). 

However, if you’re looking for a powerful yet easy to use pressure washer that will tackle a variety of different cleaning tasks around your home and garden, then the Karcher K5 Power Control Car and Home Pressure Washer won’t disappoint. It may cost a little more than some of its competitors, but it far outshines them when it comes to its thoughtful design, incredible versatility, and outstanding performance, making it a fantastic buy.